The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio

Clearly, the First Folio, as the 1623 text Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is known today, is fundamentally important, if only for preserving 18 otherwise unpublished works of William Shakespeare, among them Macbeth, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and Antony and Cleopatra. Smith (English, Hertford Coll., Oxford Univ.; 30 Great Myths About Shakespeare) takes readers on an elegant tour, revealing in fascinating detail how and why the First Folio came into existence. She illuminates the "contexts" out of which it was created, explaining the theatrical practices that influenced the writing and formatting of printed plays; the affects of performance rights on the publishing schedule and physical layout; printing techniques that determined the overall quality; and political conditions, both international and local, that informed the book's reception and Shakespeare's reputation. Expect interest: the Folger Shakespeare Library is in the midst of its project First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare, a traveling exhibition bringing an original edition to each of the 50 U.S. states for a month each to mark the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death.